1976 1C, RD (Regular Strike)

Although there was initial discussion about redesigning every circulating coin to mark the nation’s Bicentennial, the Treasury Department feared the logistical challenge of doing so. More importantly, it worried that the new designs for the Lincoln Cent, Jefferson Nickel, and Roosevelt Dime might be pulled from circulation as collector's items, thereby interrupting the flow of commerce. Having just overcome a severe nationwide coinage shortage a decade earlier, the Treasury and the Mint were in no hurry to repeat that calamity.

Instead of a complete overhaul, only the Washington Quarter, Kennedy Half Dollar, and Eisenhower Dollar received a commemorative design update. The initial plan was for the Mint to release these coins with their new Bicentennial reverses throughout 1975 and 1976. This plan proceeded smoothly, though Mint Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro made several minor adjustments to the dollar design to "improve" its typography.

The Bicentennial half dollar and dollar designs were struck by the hundreds of millions. However, Jack Ahr's quarter design, featuring a drummer boy inspired by Archibald Willard’s 1876 painting, The Spirit of ‘76, was the public’s favorite. The Mint ultimately produced over 1.6 billion of these Bicentennial Quarters.

The 1976 Lincoln Cent Mintage

Production of the 1976 Lincoln Cent (#2982) was primarily handled by the Philadelphia Mint. The official published mintage is reported as 4,674,292,426. However, 355,955,870 of these cents were struck at the West Point Bullion Depository. Since the West Point coins are visually identical to the Philadelphia strikes and no original Mint bags traceable to West Point have yet emerged, it is currently impossible to distinguish them.

Condition and Collectibility

Despite being nearly 50 years old, the 1976 Lincoln Cent remains common in uncirculated condition with original Mint Red (RD) luster. With some effort, one is likely to find 1976 cents in Extremely Fine (XF) to About Uncirculated (AU) grades still in circulation. Although most of the circulating coins have turned brown due to environmental exposure and wear, pre-1982 bronze cents are gradually being chased out of circulation by the less valuable copper-plated zinc cents—a practical application of Gresham’s Law.

The impending suspension of Lincoln Cent production in 2025 will make the future of these older copper coins interesting. It is possible that the current moratorium on melting the cent may be lifted, allowing speculators to reclaim the coin’s metallic content. As of December 2025, pre-’82 cents carry a basal value of over 3¢ each due to their copper content.

Certified Coin Market

Mint State 1976 Lincoln Cents can be acquired from saved rolls, from the official 1976 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set, or as a professionally-certified, PCGS-graded coin. Identifying Gem or better cents requires careful scrutiny. According to the PCGS Population Report, the average grade of a certified example is MS66RD. Most "raw" (uncertified) coins, however, do not present this nicely and often exhibit contact marks or other flaws that detract from the final grade.

PCGS Set Registry collectors should have little trouble sourcing examples in MS66RD to MS67RD. However, coins graded MS67+RD and MS68RD are quite challenging to find. Recent sales of MS68RD examples show a strong premium, with coins selling between $2,500 and $5,500 in recent years.

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